INFORMATION WAR AGAINST ARMENIA: HOW TO RESIST ANTI-ARMENIAN PROPAGANDA
On February 19, the newly opened analytical center “Arancq” organized its first discussion: “Informational war against Armenia: how to resist anti-Armenian propaganda”.
The director of “Noravank” Foundation Gagik Harutyunyan, the expert of “Noravank” Foundation Samvel Martirosyan, “AZG” newspaper editor-in-chief Hakob Avetiqyan, the representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the RA Ashot Grigoryan, the director of informational programmes of “Erkir Media” TV company Gegham Manoukyan were engaged in that discussion. The participants discussed the information wars against Armenia, their nature, the means of war, and the ways of the resistance.
The director of “Noravank” Foundation Gagik Harutyunyan mentioned that Armenia is at the epicenter of information wars, which means that Armenia is involved in the global processes. And this, in its turn, gives an opportunity to include our problems in those global processes and to expect for some solutions. G. Harityunyan conventionally divided all current information wars in two groups, i.e. tactical and strategic information wars, and mentioned their peculiarities. The first pursues the aim to damage information field of the enemy. And as for the strategic information war, according to G. Harutyunyan, it is notional (conceptual) war, which is directed not only against Armenian society, but it is also some kind of package of the actions directed against international community. G. Harutyunyan also spoke about the methods of appropriate reaction on the information actions.
In the opinion of the representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the RA Ashot Grigoryan, this phenomenon has not been thoroughly studied yet. He believes that the solution of that problem is in the creation of the special coordinating organ and expects assistance on behalf of information and analytical community.
“AZG” newspaper editor-in-chief Hakob Avetiqyan spoke about the responsible press, considering that this is the task not only for the state but also for the journalists.
The director of informational programmes of “Erkir Media” TV Company Gegham Manoukyan mentioned the absence of professional journalism in Armenia, which is also of supreme importance and needs to be solved urgently.
Taking into account the great number of information agencies and printed press in the RA the expert of “Noravank” Foundation Samvel Martirosyan stated that Azerbaijani information field has more resources. As for information war against Armenia S. Martirosyan mentioned that the exposure makes the point and not the enemy’s attacks. The reporter criticized Armenian press for reprinting information from Turkish and Azerbaijani press.
The information wars may have dangerous effect but at the same time they become even more dangerous if there is no response. In order to combat those wars it is necessary first of all to normalize our own information field, and it is not enough to defend, one should also take retaliatory steps, trying to apply his theoretical skills.
The general discussion started with the active participation of all the participants on the aforementioned issues.
